A non-contact feeding technology, in which a magnetic field connection, such as magnetic field resonance or electromagnetic induction, is used, is expected as a technology by which a battery of a vehicle, in which battery of an electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or a fuel-cell electric vehicle is mounted, is charged by an external power source.
There is a known charging device, for electric vehicle, having a function which corresponds to, by using the technology, a wired electric power charging operation, in which an external power source (AC power source at 50 Hz or 60 Hz) is connected to a vehicle by a conductive cable so as to charge a battery, and corresponds to a non-contact electric power charging operation, in which a vehicle is not directly connected to an external power source.
As a conventional charging device, for electric vehicle, which includes a wired electric power charging operation and a non-contact electric power charging operation, for example, a charging device, which is indicated in FIG. 6, is disclosed. In FIG. 6, when a wired electric power charging operation is performed, AC electric power from an external power source is passed through an electric power receiving terminal 101 and a inductor 102, and is inputted to a rectifier 103. In this case, the rectifier 103 includes a switching element, so that a step-up chopper circuit is configured by using the rectifier 103 and the inductor 102, and the rectifier 103 rectifies the inputted AC electric power at 50 Hz or 60 Hz, and the rectifier 103 increases a voltage and performs a power-factor improvement operation. As a result, DC electric power at a constant voltage is outputted from the rectifier 103, and is converted to high-frequency AC electric power by an inverter 104. The AC electric power, which is converted the inverter 104, is inputted a diode-bridge-type rectifier 106 including a switching element, and is converted to DC voltage, whereby a battery, which is mounted in a vehicle, is charged.
On the other hand, a wireless power receiving unit 107, which is used for a non-contact electric power receiving operation, is composed of an receiving coil 108 and a rectifier 109, and one end portion of an output terminal of the wireless power receiving unit 107 is passed through a inductor 110 and is connected to a middle point of an arm which includes the switching element of the rectifier 106, and the other end portion is connected to a low voltage side of the rectifier 106. A step-up chopper circuit is configured by using the arm which includes the inductor 110 and the switching element of the rectifier 106, so that a battery, which is mounted in a vehicle, is charged after electric power, which is outputted from the wireless power receiving unit 107, is increased.
Moreover, there is a disclosed configuration in which the rectifier 110, which is indicated in FIG. 6, is removed, and a step-down chopper circuit is configured in such a way that a inductor is arranged between a middle point of an arm and a battery, and after electric power, which is outputted from a wireless power receiving unit, is decreased, a battery, which is mounted in a vehicle, is charged (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Moreover, in the other conventional charging device, for electric vehicle, a common electric power converter, which is configured in such a way that a power-factor corrector is connected to a rear part of a rectifying circuit, is included, and a wired power receiving unit for a wired electric power receiving operation and a wireless power receiving unit for a non-contact electric power receiving operation are connected to a front part of the rectifying circuit in such a way that the wired power receiving unit and the wireless power receiving unit can be switched. When a wired electric power receiving operation is performed, AC electric power, which is outputted from an external power source, is passed through a filter circuit, which is composed of a inductor and a capacitor, and is inputted to the rectifying circuit. After the inputted AC electric power at 50 Hz or 60 Hz is rectified by the rectifying circuit, the AC electric power is converted to DC electric power at a constant voltage by the power-factor corrector, whereby a battery is charged.
On the other hand, when a non-contact electric power receiving operation is performed, AC electric power, which is outputted from an external power source, is rectified by a rectifying circuit so as to be converted to pulsating electric power at a non-contact-charging-type charging unit which is provided at the outside, and the AC electric power is converted to pulsating high-frequency AC electric power by a high-frequency inverter and is outputted to an transmitting coil. Thereby, a high-frequency magnetic field is generated at the transmitting coil, and the high-frequency magnetic field is magnetically connected to an receiving coil of a wireless power receiving unit at a vehicle side, whereby electric power is supplied to the wireless power receiving unit. The received electric power is pulsating high-frequency AC electric power, after the AC electric power is rectified by the rectifying circuit, the AC electric power is converted to DC electric power at a constant voltage by the power-factor corrector, whereby a battery is charged (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).